Non flying chickens?

[Sadik]

We used to have 3 hens in a largish permanent run in the garden, but for various reasons have now taken it down. DD would really like to get some more, but we were trying to figure out if we could just let them roam in the garden in it's entirety, shutting them in their coop overnight.

It's a standard semi garden, long and thin, with approx 4 foot fences all round. All good, except our old hens couldn't be let out of their run, because they flew over the fence into next doors veg patch. (In fact, if their feeder was empty, they would also fly over the 6 foot deer netting around their run to come and hassle us.)

Any suggestions for breeds? I've clipped chickens wings before, but it didn't seem to stop determined fly-ers. I suggested quail, but DH reckons the cat'll eat them

[Ruhrpott]

Silkies, I love mine but they go broody a lot.

[Ruhrpott]

And their eggs taste great and they are small and bantam sized.

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

My favorelles aren't good flyers. I think big, heavy birds like a lincolnshire buff would probably be quite rubbish at flying.

[Sadik]

I wondered about silkies. TBH, they'll be more dd's pets than egg layers. What are they like in winter - do they get horribly wet/muddy? Dd used to have an araucana in with the others, and I don't remember her ever flying, come to think of it.

[Sadik]

The Favorelles look very pretty, too :) Are yours friendly, Simon?

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

They're friendly yes. Mine also chase my dog off so you won't have any worries with the cat!

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

I used to have a silkie and it struggled in the wet. So much so I paid £500 for a walk in run with a roof as she looked so bedraggled and then she got that funny chicken torsion thing which silkies are prone to and had to be put down. About two weeks after the new run!!

[Sadik]

We live in West Wales . . . maybe not Silkies

[Sadik]

Now if it was up to me, I'd have Indian Runner ducks, but DH has vetoed.

[Ruhrpott]

I live in South Wales and my silkies are fine. They do get wet but don't seem too bothered by it. They could go into the dry coop but they don't. They do have a tarp over the run to keep the worst off.